Gov’t to Tighten Regulations Against Domestic Violence
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, March 7
Georgian government plans to tighten regulations against the domestic violence in order to reduce violence against the women in the country.
The statement was made by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili at the governmental session on March 6.
Kvirikashvili stressed that there is sad statistics regarding the violence against women in Georgia. He said in order to improve the situation the procedures of issuing restraining order will be simplified.
“We have made many steps in this regard and it is the matter of the dignity of our country to change the existing reality,” the PM said, adding an educational campaign will also be launched in the country.
According to the government's administration, the Minister of Justice presented the package of amendments at March 6 sitting of the government, as a result of which the regulations on domestic violence and violence against the women will be tightened.
The recent survey conducted in Georgia in 2017 by the United Nations Women's Organization, National Statistics Office of Georgia and the European Union, reads that violence against women in Georgia is still quite acceptable.
Out of totally interviewed 6006 women aged 15-64 and 1601 men of 15-64, one-fourth (22%) of women and one-third of men (31%) believe that beating a wife is justified in certain circumstances.
In addition, nearly one-quarter of women (23%) and half of men (42%) believe that the wife should obey her husband even if she disagrees with him.
The survey also revealed that at least one out of seven women has experienced domestic violence, 9% of women have become victims of child sexual abuse and one out of five says they have experienced sexual harassment.
2.7% of interviewed women aged 15-64 say they have been sexually harassed by non-partners.
Moreover, around 15,000 interviewed women admitted they been physically abused at least once during pregnancy. Out of these women, 37% say they have been kicked or hit in their stomach during pregnancy. According to the same survey, 64% of women who reported of beating during pregnancy say that the beating was part of the cycle of violence carried out by one and the same person. 6% said that violence was intensified during pregnancy.
The survey was carried out within the framework of the project - Stop Violence against Women.
